The Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the clinical evaluation and improvement of health care in Arkansas. They provide in-depth quality evaluation and improvement programs for Medicare, Medicaid and other payors; offer a variety of data management services to both the public and private sectors; and conduct extensive patient and public health education activities.

PBS series and AETN follow-up program explore the quality improvement movement in health care today

Through alarming national studies and reports, Americans have been awakened to the very real problems in medicine and health care delivery: from escalating costs to significant gaps in quality and patient safety. We are now more aware of the problems, but what are the solutions?

Topics will include patient safety; what's being done to minimize medical and medication errors and hospital-acquired infections; and the effective management of chronic diseases, with special emphasis given to what's new in the fight against diabetes and heart disease. The panel of experts will also discuss ways to educate and motivate individuals to take personal responsibility for their own health care.

The program is moderated by KTHV anchor Anne Jansen and features Dr. Joe Thompson, executive director for the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement; Dr. Nick Paslidis, executive director for the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care; and Janice Guthrie, founder of The Health Resource, Inc. It premieres:

Thursday, October 5, at 6:30 p.m.with encore presentations:Saturday, October 7, at 4:30 p.m.Monday, October 8, at noonFriday, October 13, at 6:30Sunday, October 15, at 9:30 p.m.Wednesday, October 25, at 6:30 p.m.

This website will also highlight many of Arkansas’ “Champions of Change,” people and organizations making a difference in the quality of healthcare in Arkansas.

New Media AlternativesSubscribe to the vodcast:http://www.aetn.org/remakingvid/remaking.xml

As many as 98,000 Americans die each year in hospitals due to preventable medical errors. One million more are injured. In fact, medical errors kill as many people per year as breast cancer, HIV-AIDS and car accidents. These and other equally startling statistics underscore the chaotic conditions within the American health care system. Remaking American Medicine™…Health Care for the 21st Century explores the quality crisis and the innovative solutions being undertaken by providers, patients and their families to transform the care provided by the institutions we all depend on. The four one-hour programs are scheduled to air on AETN on October 5, 12, 19 and 26 at 9 p.m.